Traffic flow information and pattern regulation are useful tools for informing motorists of congestion, hazards, accidents, police or highway safety personnel activity, and the like.
Some traffic flow and pattern control apparatus may be deployed in construction zones, for example, or in areas such as freeway interchanges or toll plazas where traffic congestion is regular or frequent, or in areas requiring temporary rerouting of vehicular traffic. In that regard, many such traffic flow and pattern control apparatus are designed to be portable, or at least moveable (i.e., they may not be permanently affixed to or integrated into the roadway or other immovable infrastructure).
Additionally, some traffic monitoring systems (such as those provided by Signalisation Ver-Mac™ Inc.) acquire and transmit traffic flow data to a remote system which processes data for use in connection with one or more applications. A typical traffic flow monitoring and regulation system may, for example, update road-side or overhead signage with information concerning traffic patterns that a motorist may expect to encounter some distance ahead. Additionally or alternatively, such traffic data may be provided to third party mapping and navigation tools, providing a user of such a tool with real-time or near real-time information concerning traffic conditions where they are being monitored. In connection with these and other systems, it may be useful to identify the location of each traffic flow and pattern control apparatus placed on or near the route being monitored or controlled.
Installation of permanent or long-term traffic sensors is a relatively complicated task, involving wiring, installation of communications equipment, and providing solid anchorage or a permanent support structure. On the other hand, since the equipment is permanent or deployed for an extended period, power consumption is usually not a limiting factor for the equipment utilized, as the powered sensor components are either connected to a local utility power grid or accompanied by a government or commercial generator.
The challenges associated with providing temporary or portable traffic sensors and other flow and pattern control apparatus are very different from those associated with deploying permanent or long term fixtures. Applications for these portable apparatus include construction sites, warning of speed limit changes, lane or road closures, and temporary flagging or road hazards such as rock slides, bridge damage, lighting failures, traffic collisions, law enforcement activity, and the like. It is often desirable that a portable traffic apparatus be light-weight but sturdy, easily moveable to a suitable location, visible to motorists to prevent damage or destruction, and self-powered, since a portable device may not always be positioned such that it may readily be wired to electric utility services. Portability may be desirable for many applications, as investment in a permanent physical infrastructure is not required and because a traffic apparatus may quickly and selectively be deployed only where it is needed. As noted above, however, portable structures may be moved, and so it may be useful in many applications to acquire and to maintain accurate location information for each such apparatus that is deployed.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved system and method of acquiring and maintaining location information associated with such apparatus in connection with a traffic flow monitoring or regulation system.